Acupuncture is a treatment method that dates back thousands of years and is capable of treating a wide variety of health problems and also is beneficial for maintaining health.  One area where acupuncture excels is the treatment of pain and injuries.  In most acupuncture practices, the treatment of pain and injuries represents the majority of the patient population.  Although different forms of healing have much to offer, for example Chiropractic and Physical Therapy, I believe you will find acupuncture to be extremely effective, cost efficient, and quick to provide results. 

My practice is a bit eclectic.  I utilize various approaches to pain treatment in addition to acupuncture.  Two of my favorite approaches, at times used in combination with acupuncture and sometimes independent of acupuncture are Microcurrent therapy and Laser Therapy.  If I have found a tool that is efficacious, a tool that may help you live a more comfortable life, then I try to make it available.  The use of Micro current and Laser therapy can be based on traditional acupuncture theory or a more modern understanding of the pathology of pain.  Either way, the results can be outstanding.

Some have come to think of acupuncture as a superficial treatment addressing only symptoms.  This is a misconception as acupuncture aims to address not only the symptoms, but also the underlying problem.  This is not always possible, for example in a person with spinal arthritis, we can often very effectively manage the pain, reduce inflammation and even slow the progress of the disease, but acupuncture will not repair the destruction that is present.  In these cases symptom management is appropriate and often times frees someone from the use of pain medication and quality of life improves dramatically.  Chinese medicine refers to this as the Root and Branch.  The Root is the cause of the problem and the Branch is the symptoms.  Acutely we might address only the Branch to obtain rapid pain reduction, but the Root is important as well and should be addressed soon thereafter.  Sometimes both Root and Branch are addressed simultaneously.

The mechanism of action, or put differently, how acupuncture works, is still debated.  Numerous studies, outcome based clinical trials, blinded trials, etc., have shown acupuncture to be beneficial.  Many of these studies can be quickly accessed over the internet.  The NIH office of Alternative Medicine, Medline and others are good starting places.

So what type of pain does acupuncture treat?  The effectiveness of acupuncture I believe is dependent on two variables primarily.  First is the skill and experience of the acupuncturist and second is the style of acupuncture being practiced.  With that in mind, commonly treated problems include:

Low back pain

Arthritis

Neck pain

Shoulder pain

Headaches / Migraines

Plantar Fasciitis

Sciatica

Tendonitis

Hip pain

Carpal Tunnel syndrome (acupuncture is excellent at resolving this)

 These are the most common pain related complaints seen in my clinic, but this list is not inclusive of all pain related problems.  I have experience with cancer pain, trigeminal neuralgia, fibromyalgia and more.

Common Questions

Q:  Do you refer too, or work with Chiropractors?

A:  When indicated, combining Chiropractic care, Physical Therapy, Massage, Rolfing, etc., with Acupuncture can provide outstanding results.  Acupuncture is also extremely effective as the sole treatment and I routinely see people that have tried other approaches including surgery, medications, injections, Chiropractic, etc., and have not responded but did respond extremely well to acupuncture.  I am in favor of whatever resolves the pain the quickest, addresses the underlying problem if possible, and results in the least side effects.  Side effects from acupuncture are typically minimal.  The most common, but still relatively infrequent are bruising and soreness.

Q:  How many treatments does it take?

A:  This varies based on a variety of variables.  Some considerations include the duration of the problem, any associated significant pathology, individual response to acupuncture, frequency of treatments and others.  Most will begin feeling better, typically much better with their first treatment but maximum improvement may take longer.  With that in mind, some general guidelines are as follows.  Neck and back pain about 6- 7 treatments.  Some obtain complete relief in one treatment, others take more than 7.  Headaches typically will be resolved during the first treatment and permanent resolution depends on the specifics of the headaches.  Plantar fasciitis which is typically considered a difficult problem to deal with responds very well to acupuncture.  Significant improvement is usually noticed with the first treatment.  Three to five treatments are usually necessary. 

This should give you a better idea but keep in mind everyone is different and no guarantees are being made.  The vast majority of people I treat are extremely happy with their results.  Take a look at our testimonials page.

Q:  Is there any research supporting the efficacy of acupuncture?

A:   Yes, considerable.  Much of this is published in per reviewed medical journals and or is available online.  Excellent research is come from many sources including Duke University, Mayo Clinic and many others.  The questions are not so much does it work, but rather how does it work. 

If you have questions please email me or come in for a free consultation.  We all deserve to live a life free of pain.  If you are in pain, at the end of your rope, it may be time for you to try something new.  It just may be the best decision you have made in a long time.